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November 20
1800s *1884 - The National League agrees to allow overhand pitching, but rules that pitchers must keep both feet on the ground throughout their pitching motion in order to reduce the velocity of their pitches. They still must throw the ball at the height requested by the batter. In addition, teams are now required to supply a separate bench for each club at their park to limit inter-team fraternization. *1888 - The Joint Rules Committee reduces the number of balls for a walk from five to four, establishing the four balls/three strikes count that remains in effect more than a century later. It also eliminates an out on a foul tip if the catcher catches it within 10 feet of home plate. 1900s-1940s *1934: **17-year-old pitcher Eiji Sawamura gives up one hit, a home run to Lou Gehrig, as the touring MLB All-Stars win in Japan, 1–0. At one point, Sawamura strikes out four future Hall of Famers in a row: Charlie Gehringer, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Gehrig. **The St. Louis Browns Bruce Campbell to the Cleveland for Johnny Burnett, pitcher Bob Weiland, and cash consideration. **Catcher Moe Berg shoots movie film showing the roofs of Tokyo. The film will allegedly be used as a guide by U.S. bombers during World War II. 1950s *1950 - Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Roy Hamey resigns and is replaced by Branch Rickey. *1952: **Chicago Cubs slugger Hank Sauer is named National League Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The Cubs finished in fifth place, despite Sauer's 37 home runs and 121 RBI. **Commissioner Ford Frick states his belief that the Pacific Coast League will eventually reach major league status. *1956 - The St. Louis Cardinals trade OF Rip Repulski and SS Bobby Morgan to the Philadelphia Phillies for OF Del Ennis. *1957: **Shigeo Nagashima, a slugger star at Rikkyo University, signs with the Yomiuri Giants for a record bonus of $69,000. He will go on to have one of the great careers in Japanese baseball. **The Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Athletics execute a 13-player trade. Among the players involved are second baseman Billy Martin, outfielder Gus Zernial and pitcher Mickey McDermott, who are headed to Detroit. The Athletics acquire pitcher Duke Maas, catcher Henry House, and outfielders Bill Tuttle and Jim Small. *1958 - The Detroit Tigers trade infielder Billy Martin and starter Al Cicotte to the Cleveland Indians for relievers Ray Narleski and Don Mossi and shortstop Ossie Alvarez. 1960s *1962: **New York Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle collects his third American League MVP Award. Mantle, who hit .321 with 30 home runs, also led the AL in walks (122) and slugging percentage (.605), while helping the Yankees to a berth in the World Series against the San Francisco Giants. **Sale of the Cleveland Indians is completed as Bill Daley and Gabe Paul take control. *1967 - New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver, who posted a 16-12 record with 170 strikeouts and 2.76 ERA, is named National League Rookie of the Year by the BBWAA. *1969 - San Francisco Giants first baseman Willie McCovey edges New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver as National League Most Valuable Player. McCovey hit .320 and led the league in home runs (45) and RBI (126), while Seaver posted a 2.21 ERA with 208 strikeouts and a league-leading 25 wins. **Joe Schultz is fired as manager of the Seattle Pilots. **In an outfielders trade, the Cleveland Indians send José Cardenal to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for Vada Pinson. 1970s *1971 - The Sporting News announces Gold Glove Award winners. Among newcomers are outfielders Amos Otis in the American League and Bobby Bonds in the National League. *1974 - Texas Rangers right fielder Jeff Burroughs, who batted .301 with 25 home runs and a league-leading 118 RBI, wins the American League MVP Award. Oakland teammates Joe Rudi, Sal Bando and Reggie Jackson are the runner-ups. *1975 - The San Francisco Giants fire manager Wes Westrum, coaxing Bill Rigney out of retirement to replace him. *1979 - The Atlanta Braves sign relief pitcher Al Hrabosky, a reentry free agent formerly with the Kansas City Royals, to a five-year pact worth $2.2 million. 1980s *1984: **Four days after his 20th birthday, New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden becomes the youngest player ever to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Gooden posted a 17-9 record with a 2.60 ERA and a major league-leading 276 strikeouts. **Seattle Mariners first baseman Alvin Davis, who hit .284 with 27 home runs and 116 RBI, wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Teammate pitcher Mark Langston and Minnesota Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett are the runner-ups. *1985: **New York Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, who hit .324 with 35 home runs and 145 RBI, easily wins the American League Most Valuable Player Award over Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett (.335, 30, 103). **The Pittsburgh Pirates name Jim Leyland their manager, replacing Chuck Tanner. Leyland will lead the Pirates to the playoffs in 1990 and 1991. *1987 - Don Zimmer is hired by long time friend Jim Frey to manage the Chicago Cubs. Zimmer will compile a 265-258 record during his three-plus-year tenure with the Cubs. *1989 - Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Robin Yount edges Rubén Sierra of the Rangers to win his second American League MVP Award. Yount, who won the award as a shortstop in 1982, becomes only the third player to win MVP awards at two different positions, joining Hank Greenberg and Stan Musial. 1990s *1990: **Oakland Athletics outfielder Rickey Henderson edges Cecil Fielder of the Tigers for the American League MVP Award. Henderson hit .325 with 28 home runs and a major league-best 65 stolen bases. **Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens is suspended for the first five games of the 1991 season and is fined $10,000 due to his unruly behavior toward the umpires in Game Four of the American League Championship Series. *1995 - The New York Yankees trade minor league pitcher Mike DeJean and a player to be named to the Colorado Rockies for catcher Joe Girardi. Girardi will solidify the catching for New York, while DeJean will set a ML mark for most appearances without a loss. DeJean will post a 7-0 record through 1998, while making 88 appearances, breaking a little-known mark set by Phil Paine from 1951-58. *1997: **Free agent first baseman Andrés Galarraga signs a three-year $24.8 million contract with the Atlanta Braves, ending a five-year career with the Colorado Rockies that helped put Colorado on the baseball map. Galarraga batted .316 with 172 home runs and 579 RBI with the Rockies, including a National League batting crown (1993), consecutive RBI titles (1996-97), and a HR title (1997). **Jeff Conine, another player who exploded after expansion in 1992, is dealt to the Kansas City Royals by the cost-cutting Florida Marlins. *1998 - The New York Mets send catcher Jorge Fábregas to the Florida Marlins in exchange for relief pitcher Oscar Henríquez. 2000s *2000 - Free agent infielder José Vizcaíno is signed by the Houston Astros. *2001 - Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki becomes only the second player in major league history to win the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. Suzuki joins Boston Red Sox outfielder Fred Lynn, who in 1975 achieved this double distinction. Births *1858 - Joe Sommer, outfielder (d. 1938) *1866 - Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Hall of Fame executive (d. 1944) *1869 - Clark Griffith, Hall of Fame player, manager and executive (d. 1955) *1880 - George McBride, infielder (d. 1973) *1882 - Andy Coakley, pitcher (d. 1963) *1888 - Rabbit Powell, outfielder (d. 1962) *1890 - Leon Cadore, pitcher (d. 1958() *1897 - Larry Benton, pitcher (d. 1953) *1929 - Lou Berberet, catcher *1945 - Jay Johnstone, outfielder *1945 - Rick Monday, All-Star outfielder *1967 - Alex Arias, infielder *1971 - Gabe White, pitcher *1975 - J. D. Drew, outfielder *1979 - Lino Urdaneta, pitcher Deaths *1959 - Roy Thomas, outfielder (b. 1874) *1968 - Fresco Thompson, infielder (b. 1902) *1997 - Dick Littlefield, pitcher (b. 1926) *1998 - Dick Sisler, All-Star player and manager (b. 1920)